RTÜK threatens TV broadcasters with penalties over coverage of massive wildfires

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The Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK) has sent a warning letter to TV stations over the coverage of the massive wildfires that have struck the country since July 28.

In the message, the media regulator asked TV stations to cover not only ongoing fires but also fires that have been extinguished.

"While fires erupted on 130 different spots have been successfully extinguished by urgent response teams, ignoring this and insistently broadcasting only burning areas is the broadcasting desired by those who expect an atmosphere of chaos," says the RTÜK message.

Many TV outlets report the news in a way that arouses fear and anxiety among the public and demotivates firefighting teams, according to RTÜK.

The RTÜK experts started reporting the cases to establish a basis for penal sanctions, it said.

"Warning media outlets to comply with Law No. 6112 on RTÜK, the media regulator said, "Otherwise, it will be inevitable to impose the heaviest sanctions on the media service providers that disregard the mentioned broadcasting principles," said the RTÜK.

İlhan Taşçı, an RTÜK member from the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), criticized the council's message, accusing RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin of threatening broadcasters.

"As Turkey has become a fire zone ... RTÜK Chair Ebubekir Şahin threatened television executives through the 'special line' between broadcasters," he wrote on Twitter, also posting the RTÜK's message. (HA/VK)